Firefighters have called for “wildfire-fighting aircraft” to help combat spate of blazes as Britain braces for another heatwave, with temperatures likely to top 35°C.
UK fire brigades do not have direct access to water-bombing planes that can drop up to six tonnes of water onto a blaze, while Britain’s military firefighting helicopters are all deployed in Cyprus.
The Fire Brigades Union (FBU), which represents around 34,000 men and women in the fire and rescue service across the UK, has called for access to aerial firefighting capabilities where “appropriate” to combat a looming risk of larger and more complex wildfires.
Shorts
Ministers are understood to be looking closely at which kit is needed now and in the future, including aerial assets, to improve UK capabilities.
